Scott Harvey is the Leeds Arts Council’s featured artist in August. The public is invited to the opening reception on Sunday, August 4, 2019, 1:30-3:30 pm to view his beautiful artwork. Admission is free.
Scott works in acrylics, watercolors, ink, and graphite to create animal illustrations, pastoral scenes, and layered abstracts. In 1994, 1995, and 1996, he was awarded 1st Place in the Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition sponsored by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art & Graphic Design from Stetson University; studies in Film & Literature at Trent University, England; and a Master of Business Administration & Marketing from UAB. He is a member of the Florida Art Honors Society and serves on the board of the Leeds Arts Council.
The artist says, “I never thought of myself as an artist until I was told I was one by an art teacher in the 5th grade. She was watching over my shoulder as I drew a desert sunset with pastels and stopped me with a question. “Have you ever been to Arizona?” No, I replied. “Well I used to live in Arizona, and that looks just like an Arizona sunset…you, sir, are an artist!” I was later told I had great talent by my 8th grade art teacher. Her greatest lesson was teaching me to shut off my brain and just let the image flow onto the canvas without thinking.
“Art in the sense of illustration and painting came easy to me. I could see something in my mind, or in a photo, and recreate it on paper or canvas. It made people happy, so I continued down the path of making people happy by drawing birds, animals, or anything that piqued my interest. I always created art for myself, no one else. I said to myself at a young age, if people like my art, that’s great! I’m happy they like it, but I’ve always done what I wanted. I never fit into that stereotypical artist mold where I created art out of wild passion, or tried to push some political agenda, or emotion…I simply made art for my own enjoyment.
“When I’m illustrating or painting, it’s relaxing and more a pastime. I simply have an image in my mind that I find appealing and put it to paper or canvas. It’s as simple as that. I often felt, while in studio art school, that I had to have some driving force behind my artwork, but again I never fit into that mold. Yes, art is passionate, but for me it’s an extension of myself–it’s a part of me.”
Scott Harvey’s art will be on exhibit through September 6, 2019. The Arts Center is located at 8140 Parkway Drive, in downtown Leeds. The gallery is open during events. In case of inclement weather, call the center at 205-699-1892 to confirm opening hours.